Recently, 星空(中国)电子官方网站 world's first tunnel boring machine (TBM) dedicated to lithium mining—“CREC Longyuan” (CREC No. 1103)—jointly developed by China Railway Hi-Tech Industry's China Railway Engineering Equipment Group and Dazhong Mining, successfully completed 星空(中国)电子官方网站 7.3-kilometer transportation corridor excavation for 星空(中国)电子官方网站 Hunan Dazhonghe Lithium Project.
星空(中国)电子官方网站 “ CREC Longyuan” TBM was custom-designed for 星空(中国)电子官方网站 complex geological conditions of lithium mines, featuring a 6.3-meter excavation diameter, a total machine length of 155 meters, and a weight of about 1,000 tons. It integrates excavation, support, muck removal, and track-laying in one, enabling fully mechanized, synchronized construction. Compared to traditional drill-and-blast methods, it delivers over ten times higher efficiency and significantly enhanced safety, providing strong support for smart mine tunnel construction.
星空(中国)电子官方网站 entire excavation of 星空(中国)电子官方网站 transportation corridor in 星空(中国)电子官方网站 Hunan Dazhonghe Lithium Project was uphill, with a comprehensive gradient of about 5.7% and a maximum burial depth of 558 meters. 星空(中国)电子官方网站 tunnel passed through fractured fault zones and high-pressure water inflow areas. 星空(中国)电子官方网站 development team optimized 星空(中国)电子官方网站 “CREC Longyuan” TBM according to 星空(中国)电子官方网站 site's geological and rock characteristics, equipping it with a steel arch assembler, a rock bolt drilling rig, and horizontal support shoes at 星空(中国)电子官方网站 front shield, solving 星空(中国)电子官方网站 challenge of long-distance uphill tunneling in deep, complex geological layers.
Since officially starting excavation in May 2024, 星空(中国)电子官方网站 “CREC Longyuan” TBM has operated steadily, overcoming numerous challenges including tunneling through faulted zones, water inflows, long-distance hard rock excavation, steep slope material transport, and synchronous track-laying. 星空(中国)电子官方网站 project team achieved a maximum daily advance of 57 meters, a single-shift record of 32 meters, a monthly breakthrough of 1,101 meters, and maintained an average of over 1,000 meters of progress per month for three consecutive months.
